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Delaware District I's run comes to end against Pennsylvania ace

Delaware's District I All-Stars battled valiantly to reach the championship game of the Big League Baseball Eastern Regional on Thursday night, playing six games in six days. But District I, comprising mostly players from Kent County, had no answer for Pennsylvania District 28 pitcher Ryan Barrett. The 16-year-old threw a four-hit shutout to lead his team to a 5-0 victory and a berth in the Big League World Series, to be played July 23-30 in Easley, S.C.

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Delaware District I's run comes to end against Pennsylvania ace

Brad Myers
5:30 a.m. EDT July 18, 2014

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Pennsylvania pitcher Ryan Barrett (second from right) is mobbed by his teammates after his shutout against Dover on Thursday at Schutte Park in Dover, securing a berth in the Big League World Series.(Photo: WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL)Buy Photo

Delaware's District I All-Stars battled valiantly to reach the championship game of the Big League Baseball Eastern Regional on Thursday night, playing six games in six days.

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ut District I, comprising mostly players from Kent County, had no answer for Pennsylvania District 28 pitcher Ryan Barrett. The 16-year-old threw a four-hit shutout to lead his team to a 5-0 victory and a berth in the Big League World Series, to be played July 23-30 in Easley, S.C.

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Delaware District 1's Dakota Graham (left) and Pennsylvania District 28's Philip Matranga watch as Matranga's throw is in time to complete a double play in Pennsylvania's 5-0 win, securing a berth in the Big League World Series, Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Schutte Park in Dover. WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL

Delaware District 1's starter Travis Dill throws in the fourth inning of Pennsylvania District 28's 5-0 win, securing a berth for Pennsylvania in the Big League World Series, Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Schutte Park in Dover. WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL

Pennsylvania District 28's Ryan Barrett shows relief after getting the final out in Pennsylvania's 5-0 win, securing a berth in the Big League World Series, Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Schutte Park in Dover. WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL

Pennsylvania District 28 starting pitcher Ryan Barrett (second from right) is mobbed by his teammates after his 99-pitch, complete game shutout against Delaware District 1, securing a berth in the Big League World Series, Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Schutte Park in Dover. WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL

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"He's got a fastball that's a lot faster than kids expect when they first see it," Pennsylvania coach Mike Robinson said of Barrett. "And then he just constantly changes speeds on every batter. He really keeps the hitters off balance."

The Pennsylvania champs represent KAU Little League, with a roster comprising players from Kennett Square, Unionville, Chadds Ford, Avon Grove and Coatesville. Several of the District 28 players were part of a team that lost to Panama, 2-1, in the championship game of the Senior League World Series (13- to 16-year-olds) last summer in Bangor, Maine. This time, they are headed south for another World Series for players ages 15-18.

"I was just seeing the pitches really well and putting the ball in play. That's my job," said District 28 center fielder Brian Griest, who went 3 for 3 with two RBIs. "All we had to do was hit the ball, because our defense was pretty solid and our pitcher threw a really good game today."

Pennsylvania loaded the bases in the first inning and scored a run on a passed ball before Delaware escaped the jam with a 6-4-3 double play. Then District I loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but couldn't score. Two infield flies and a groundout ended the threat.

"I was nervous, but I just tried to keep them off balance," Barrett said. "That was huge, to keep the momentum with us."

Then Barrett settled into the groove, facing the minimum through a stretch of 18 batters. District 28 added a run in the fourth, made it 4-0 in the fifth on Griest's two-run single and pushed the lead to 5-0 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Sean Faux.

District 28 loaded the bases with no out in the top of the seventh, only to see District I turn an outstanding, 5-2-3-2 triple play. Third baseman Chandler Swalm fielded a ground ball and threw to catcher Jon Carson, who stepped on home plate for the first out and threw to first baseman Kendall Small for the second out. Then Small threw back to Carson, who tagged out the runner trying to score from second for the third out. Kendall Small and John Richardson led off the bottom of the seventh with singles for District I. But Barrett got a groundout and two strikeouts to end the game.

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Dover catcher Jon Carson receives a throw to start a triple play in the seventh inning Thursday.(Photo: WILLIAM BRETZGER/THE NEWS JOURNAL)

"I tried to work through all my pitches, make sure they didn't know what to expect," the pitcher said.

District I, the tournament's host team, was attempting to become the first Delaware team to reach the Big League World Series since 2006. District I defeated state champions from Maryland, Massachusetts and New York (twice) to reach the final, but lost to District 28 twice.

"You could tell they've played together a little bit more than we have," District I coach Kevin Turner said of the Pennsylvania champs. "We had two practices to throw this thing together. I had pitchers on the team that I had never seen pitch, so it was kind of hard to make some decisions. But my guys battled. We got six games in, and we were in the finals. We probably exceeded expectations."